So Far, Too Long
by Silverwing14
Summary: My name is Katara. It's been a year since my best friend Aang, defeated the firelord, yet I still can't forget...
1. Chapter 1

**Authors Note: I know that everyone writes this, but I DO NOT OWN AVATAR, although I really wish I did. Also, just so you know, this is my first fanfic, so be nice and if you don't like it, don't read it (I don't mean that. Read!). Oh, and just so you know, I think that every season is a year long in the show, so you can calculate how old everyone is. Enjoy!**

**Note: for those of you that know this is the redo, all I did was change Katara's age. (She is now 19)**

Chapter One

I still remember our first kiss.

Sadly, it was the only one, but it was still there. Keeping me strong, but putting me down. I was still in love with my best friend and my savior. I was in love with the Avatar; my Aang. Our first kiss was in the Cave of two lovers, when we let love lead the way out. The warmth of his lips sent shivers down my spine as we touched, but the kiss didn't last. When I regrettably pulled away, he was about to say something when I noticed the crystals above. I didn't think about how that would be the only time that I could admit my love for him and I wouldn't sound like a total idiot. Not to mention that Sokka wouldn't be there to "encourage" me.

Through the next two years, I held my tongue and hid my affection. By the end of the second year, Aang had mastered all of the elements, and the solar eclipse was approaching fast. We ganged up with the surviving kingdoms and planned our attack. By the night of the battle we had over 10,000 soldiers gathered from all over the world. We were ready.

The battle was a success from what I saw, that is, until the end. I had just defeated a couple of firebenders when I heard a boom nearby. I ran in that direction to assist and when I turned, I saw a bright blue light glowing in the near distance. _Aang_, I thought as I ran faster.

Suddenly, there was an even larger blast with a mixture of both red and blue light like an explosion. As I turned the corner, I saw a sight I couldn't believe. In a blasted area full of scorch marks, were two limp bodies. I stood in shock as my brain registered the scene before me. I could see the blue arrow on poor Aang's forehead fade to its normal color. "Aang!" I screamed as I started to run towards him. I knelt down beside him scared. His head was still bleeding and his body was caked with dirt and blood.

"Aang!" I desperately screamed. "No..." I began to sob. I was afraid to touch him in fear of making the situation worse. I could tell though, that he was not breathing. I tentatively reached out my trembling hand to stroke his forehead. I softly touched the middle of his forehead with no problem, but when my skin made contact with his arrow, something amazing happened.

There was a blinding bright blue light that forced my eyes to close. Wind blasted from Aang's body and when I opened my eyes he was no longer there. For no reason whatsoever, I was suddenly drained of my energy and drifted into unconsciousness.

Nearly everyone believed me when I told them, (he was the Avatar) but of course there were critics who told me that I must have fainted from hitting myself on a rock or something, and this was all a dream. Everything that belonged to Aang disappeared, including Appa and Momo. A year and a half later, we were still cleaning up the mess that the fire nation had started over a hundred years before. I was 19, and still traveling with Sokka and Toph. We were cleaning a crumbled building in a small town when a man came up to us with a scroll in his hand.

"Katara and Sokka of the Southern water tribe?" he asked.

"I'm Katara" I said as I stepped forward. I nodded towards Sokka. "That's my brother."

"I bring you news from your village" he said.

I took a sharp breath. I hoped that it would not be bad. I reached out my hand for the scroll. He handed it to me. "Thank you" As he turned, he said "May good fortune watch over you."

The man walked away as I unrolled the scroll. I read it aloud for Toph and Sokka to hear:

"Dear Katara and Sokka,

I am afraid to tell you my children, that gran-gran is not doing too well. She has not been able to speak for the last few days. The healers are doing their best, but I am afraid that her anti-youth is preventing her health. She keeps trying to run the village, but I have to literally tie her down to the bed to have her get her rest! I'm not sure if she will last much longer. Please come as soon as you can.

Love,

Your father

P.S. A ship is leaving in the morning on the 23rd of this month."

I finished the letter in shock. Gran-gran was old, but I didn't think this would ever happen. I felt like I had no choice but to go, though part of me didn't want to. A few weeks before, Gran-gran and I had gotten in a huge argument. I was 19, and according to her, I should have been married by now, not an 'old maid chasing dreams'. We yelled for what seemed like an hour about it; I told her that I couldn't find the right man yet. She didn't understand me, but if that was going to be the last time I could see her alive, then I had to go.

"The 23rd!" said Sokka. "That's tomorrow!"

"I guess we better pack then," I said. "Toph, you're welcome to come with if you'd like."

She smiled. "You bet!"

We finished cleaning up our assigned area, then went home and proceeded to eat dinner and get ready at out camp. As our fire slowly burned out, the three of us dozed off and I fell in to a deep sleep...

_I opened my eyes within my dream and was in a huge field of grass. . In the distance I could hear someone calling my name. It sounded familiar but I could not tell who it was. I ran towards the voice. Soon I was in a maze of tall green grass that was over my head. As I pushed my way through the grass, I ran into the source of the voice, face first. I fell back on to the ground. _

_I was dazed and could not tell who the person was until they crawled over top of me and smiled. "Hello Katara," said Aang. I smiled back, and then he leaned into me and proceeded to kiss me. We kissed passionately until we were forced to break for air, but when I gasped, I found myself swallowing water instead. Water filled my lungs and I desperately tried to reach the surface. _

_I couldn't breathe. Even when I reached the surface all I could do was cough the water back out of my lungs. It was raining and the water was salty as well as the harsh winds. Waves continuously crashed on me. Suddenly I saw a strange and ugly man's face in my vision laughing at me. Then, to finish the dream gone bad, I saw Aang's dead body just as I had seen it before. Once again I found myself screaming his name and the dream ended._

I woke up and sat up straight. I was breathing heavily and my heart was pounding. Sokka and Toph were right beside me, wide awake and ready to comfort me. Sokka held my hand while Toph patted me softly on my back. I was dripping in sweat, but that was better than the ocean of my dream.

"I'm fine." I choked out.

"No, your not," said Sokka

"But you will be" finished Toph.

After about ten minutes of convincing, I finally got them to go back to sleep. But I could not get back to sleep. And so I sat, waiting for the sun to rise.

**Authors Note: I know that it starts off a little slow, but be patient. That dream has a lot of foreshadowing and past reflections in it. hint, hint. Review please! I need to know what to do to make you guys happy!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Authors Note: Sup dudes? Well herago ("here ya go" for those of you who aren't so quick). Hope y'all enjoy!! Weeeeee!!!!**

Chapter 2

The morning of the 23rd, Toph, Sokka and I walked together with all of our belongings to the docks. I was terribly tired because of the nearly sleepless night before, but I tried not to show it.

When we reached the docks, we found the right ship and then proceeded to our rooms. The trip was to take about three to four days without stopping.

We each got our own room and they were each right next to each other. I was next to my brother, and across from us was Toph's room. My new living quarters had one bedroom and a bathroom. Any food we needed could be found in the kitchen.

After the three of us departed, I went straight to the bath. I hadn't had time to take one in three days, and I really needed one.

I ran the warm water into the large tub and used water bending to stir it to the right temperature. (A/N: I think that Katara should be able to make water warmer too, since she can freeze water) The water was steamy and relaxing as I stepped into the bath.

I relaxed into the water and I think I would have stayed for hours if my, oh so sweet brother hadn't interrupted me. "Katara!" Sokka shouted into my room. I sighed. "Ever heard of privacy?" I called angrily. There was a silence as he thought (not that he ever really thinks).

"But Katara, I'm HUNGRY!" he whined. "Where's the kitchen?"

There was no point in arguing. "Just a minute," I groaned. I stepped out of the bath tub and wrapped the towel around me. "Hurry Katara," he continued. "I think I'm gonna starve!"

"Oh you poor thing," I replied sarcastically as she bended the water out of my hair. "What will you ever do?" I got dressed and walked out of the bathroom where my pitiful excuse for a brother was standing there rocking on his heels and holding his stomach. "About time!" he moaned. "Come on," I said annoyed as I walked past him.

I knocked on Toph's door to invite her to join us on out trip. When she opened the door, the first thing I noticed was her hair. It was completely wild, like a bush on her head; she must had just woken up.

"Toph," Sokka whispered "Don't move, but there's a giant rat on your head!" He laughed. "Oh wait, that's your _hair_!" Toph just glared at him and with a flick of her wrist, she bended the metal from the wall of the ship into Sokka's arm. Hard.

"Owww!!" He wailed. "That hurt!"

"Serves you right" she said. "Now what did you want Katara?"

As soon as I was able to stop my giggling, I told her where we were going. "But we just ate an hour ago!" she exclaimed "you guys can't be hungry yet!"

"Not me!" I said. "Sir-eats-a-lot over there" I motioned toward my brother that had successfully found a mirror and was examining his arm and kissing it gently. I cleared my throat. He looked over to see both of us staring at him. His face immediately flushed pink. "Uhh.." he tried to explain. His shoulders slumped as he realized his efforts were pointless.

Toph and I excused his behavior with smiles as we continued down the hall towards the kitchen.

The kitchen had an open area where you could sit and eat, somewhat like a cafeteria. When we arrived, there weren't many others around (lunch time was over, but not for Sokka as usual) but a small family and a few older men sitting alone.

Sokka paid for his meal and we all sat down at a table behind two old men who seemed to be arguing.

"That can't be possible!" The first man exclaimed.

"But I saw him! I swear!" said the second man.

"He disappeared almost two years ago though! Why would he just suddenly show up?"

"Katara?"

I looked at my brother. "Earth to Katara!" he said.

"What?" I asked.

"You were kinda in your own world there for a second." He replied.

I shook my head. "Sorry. I'm just-I'm just tired, that's all"

"You eat like a pig." said Toph.

"Do not!" said Sokka.

"Do too!"

"Do not!"

Toph and Sokka continued to argue about his eating issues, while I focused back on the strange conversation.

"-exactly did you see?" said the first man, still doubting the second.

"I was walking through the forest when I heard something a little ways off, like leaves blowing, only there was no wind. I didn't know who it was and even after the war, times aren't safe as ever, so I hid in a bush" He paused.

"Then what happened?"

"I'm gettin' to it! Hold yur dang horses!" he snapped. "So I waited and out of the shadows he came, and then all the sudden he turned towards me! I wasn't even breathing! Then his grey eyes looked straight at me! They seemed to go straight through my soul!"

The first man stood up. "I think you're crazy!" he said shaking his head. "You must have been dreaming or something." The two men began to walk out of the kitchen.

"I'm tellin' ya, he's back! And when he shows himself, he's going to get royal treatment for what he did for the world"

With that, the two men gathered their belongings and left. I painfully resisted following as I watched them exit the room together. Could it be? I wondered. _No, he's dead._ A tear fell from my face and I hid it from my friends. _And he's not coming back…_

**A/N: Yeah me! Another chapter done! Well if you guys aren't bored yet then I'd say I'm doin' pretty good. As usual, review please!!**


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Wipee!! Here another chapter!! Enjoy!!!**

Chapter Three

The ship we were on was to arrive at its destination in the afternoon of the next day. That of course was planned in some room on the ship a week ago, and was not expecting the dreadful hurricane that was to come the day before arrival.

I was in my room, reading over some water bending scrolls to pass the time when a voice filled the ship. "All sailors on deck! I repeat, all sailors on deck. Passengers please remain calm and return to your rooms, staying away from unstable objects. We will be hitting some rough waters soon and for your safety, all passengers to their rooms please. Thank-you."

Completely denying their request, I quickly left my room and began to make my way towards the deck. Sokka poked his head of his room as I strode by. "Katara, what the heck are you doing?" he asked. "I can help" I responded without stopping. "Katara wait, you're INSANE!" he said as I turned the corner. Toph stepped out of her room; her hair was messy as if she was sleeping again when the announcement was made. Sokka looked like he was about to say something when he touched his arm and winced. Toph smirked. "What's going on?" she asked.

"Toph," I said. "I'm going up to the deck to help them fight the storm. You're welcome to join if you want." She nodded. I hit Sokka on the side to the head. "What was that for?" he cried. "For being an idiot, I suppose." I smiled. "Why did Aang have to leave me with you two?" he said aloud, but more so to himself. A frown immediately claimed my face and my heart sank.

"Katara," said Sokka "it was over a year ago."

That didn't stop the pain. Time wouldn't stop the scars from reopening every time someone mentioned his name… "Come if you want." I said as firmly as I could while turning around and towards the deck. "Katara—" They scurried behind me; my pace was quick, and when we arrived on deck, we realized just how bad these 'rough waters' were.

Men still trying to secure their safety lines were washed away as gigantic waves pummeled onto the ship. A sailor spotted them. "Hey! What are you people doing up here? Can't you hear? You're supposed to be down in your rooms!" he had to yell in order for us to hear him even faintly. "We can help!" I shouted. "I'm a water bender!"

Just then, a large piece of metal, ripped off of the deck from somewhere else, crashed down before them, gashing a hole in the ship. The sailor screamed and looked around for help. Water immediately began to fill the hole, but I acted quickly. Bending the water out of the hole and preventing more from entering I called for Toph's help. She bended the metal back into its place without hesisation, then I released the water. The sailor stared at up open-mouthed.

"Fine," he said. "but don't say I didn't warn you!!" He ran off to a group of other sailors trying to lift a large metal lightning rod into position. They didn't seem to be getting very far. "Sokka!" I shouted. "Go help those men with their life-lines." He followed my orders and ran to help the panicking men. "Toph, do you think you can put some of those remaining rods up?"

"Of course I can! What are you going to do?"

"I'll try calming these waves down for starters"

"All right, good luck then" Toph yelled as she turned and ran to help the sailors.

I trotted to the center of the deck and sat down. I calmed the waters just around the ship creating a dome-like look around the ship. It drained a lot of energy, but I hoped that I could hold just enough for the sailors to get situated.

All was going well until some idiot man decided to slip and fall on top of me. I didn't see him coming, so he completely knocked the air out of me. This of course, made me loose all concentration and the waves immediately picked up again, piling onto the ship. I grunted as I pushed the man off of me.

"Katara!!" I heard Sokka scream. "Watch out!"

I turned just on time to see a giant wave in my face. I was completely vulnerable and could do nothing but let it carry me. Carry me overboard. Bash me head into the railing and throw me over board into the black, uninviting waters.

Before I became unconscious, I tried to fight my way to the surface and stop myself from swallowing the large quantities of salt water that I was. I quickly froze buoys of ice around my arms to help keep me afloat. I was terrified. I honestly didn't believe that I was going to make it out of the ocean alive. Some fishermen were going to find my body torn and battered, and probably stripped of my robes. At least if I was found naked, I would be dead and unembarrassed. My thoughts grew fuzzy as I left reality. _Aang…_

**A/N: Hey guys! Sorry that one was so extremely short and if there are any errors or anything, I haven't been able to concentrate too much on this chapter. My little cousin won't quit bugging me! I want to choke her!! Grrr!! I think that this is exactly the middle of the story now. I think there will be only three more chapters. Well, if that is the case then this is it; the middle, half-time show, intermission, yeah… Review plz!!!**


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: Hey guys! I'm sorry I haven't updated in a while. My dad passed away two weeks ago; I'm OK I suppose, but things have been a bit chaotic. I promise to try to get back of track though! Things start to get a bit more interesting from here. Poor Katara, thrown off the ship…_sniff_…sorry. Back to business.**

Chapter Four

I was dead.

I had to be.

There was no way in this world I could possibly have survived.

As I became conscious, the first thing that I noticed was the splashing of water on my feet. I was alive. The water was cold, and if I could have found the strength, I would have pulled my feet back. The second thing I noticed was warmth. I could feel the sun beating viciously down on my exposed skin. _Where am I? _I thought.

I was conscious for a good hour before I got the strength to open my eyes. When I opened them it was still dark. I could feel the sun, but it was dark. _I'm blind!!_ I thought as I franticly reached my hands to my face and sat up.

I sat up. First mistake.

My head exploded with pain. I fell back, all thought lost about my eyes, but now on my flaming skull. _Let's not do that again shall we?_ I searched for a reason as to why I was in such agony. The last thing I remembered was being with Sokka and Toph. But where was Aang?

Aang.

It all flooded back to me. His death. The letter. Gran-gran. The ship. The two old men. The storm.

The storm. That was what got me there. The terrible feeling of drowning; being so vulnerable in what I knew best. I was doing fine until, until something had hit me on the head. I'm not sure what it was, but I know that it was hard. It could have been a number of things: wood, hail, metal, a fish…well maybe not a fish, but it hurt just the same. That's when I had began to slip.

I reached up to where I thought I had gotten hit. I felt a lump under my loose hair, but it didn't feel like my scalp. It was harder and cold. My eyes widened, it was caked blood.

My eyes. That was another problem. With much effort, I softly waved my hand in front of my face. Nothing. I blinked my eyes several times, each made no difference whatsoever. I needed to heal my head, but I was too weak. _Stay calm,_ I told myself. _everything is going to be OK._ I closed my eyes, not that it mattered (habit, I guess), and tried to fall asleep. I needed to gather my strength, and my body did not object.

When my mind finally aroused from it's rest, I saw brightness. I could actually see. It was blinding and hurt, but I could actually see. I had heard of bumps on the head causing temporary blindness, and that was what I decided my case was. After my eyes adjusted, I saw the sun resting on the horizon. I didn't know for sure how long I'd been sleeping and couldn't tell if it was sunrise or sunset, but I would be able to in a matter of minutes.

Meanwhile, I thought of what I would do first. One thing was for sure, I was not going to sit up; at least not yet. I glanced over towards the sun, careful not to move my head, which had lowered some. Sunset. If I was going to find somewhere a bit more sheltered before dark, I needed to hurry.

Slowly and carefully, I started trying to move my body. I started with my fingers and toes, moving to larger joints, making sure I didn't have any broken bones. Much to my relief, I got all the way to my neck without reporting any damage, besides cuts and bruises.

I took a few deep breaths before slowly moving my head to the left. No problem. I rotated now to the right. Problem. I winced in pain and tried not to yell out as the bump on my head scraped across the sand. I painfully brought my head back to it's previous position. I took more deep breaths trying not to concentrate on my head.

Next, I tried lifting my head forward off of the ground. I succeeded without pain, and figured that I would be OK, as long as I didn't touch my wound. I slowly sat up, supporting my torso upon my elbows at first, then fully. I looked behind me to see a dense forest, lush with green.

I cautiously got on my feet, and walked into the forest. I walked through the emerald kingdom, looking for a place to stay. While searching, I found an aloe plant, and rubbed its remedy on my cracking lips and burning skin.

Before long I found thicket with a hollow center. It was just big enough for me to crawl in and curl up somewhat comfortably. The branches above me were thickly intertwined, so much so that sunlight could not even get through (not that there was much left); it would be perfect if it rained.

I drifted into sleep once more although only for a few hours. When I awoke, it was still dark, but outside I saw a faint light. I emerged from the thicket and into the basking moonlight. I immediately felt rejuvenated and powerful. If I was going to heal myself, now was going to be the time.

I felt my waist for my water sac to find that is had been ripped off. I looked down at myself and studied my appearance for the first time. My cloths were tattered, and my skin was covered in scratches and white ocean salt. I looked like a ghost. One that had been through a lot.

I listened to the sounds of the ocean waves, peacefully crashing onto the shore. I listened closer though, and found another aquatic sound- trickling water. _A spring?_ I wondered hopefully. I walked towards it for a few minutes before coming across a pool of water. "Yes!" I whispered to myself.

The pool glistened in the moonlight as it fell from a small waterfall, softly splashing into itself. I kneeled over it and cupped my hands, filling them, then taking a sip. It was fresh. I reached for another cupful, but then I realized how thirsty I was. _What the heck_, I thought as I dunked my head in, drinking my fill. After I clenched my thirst, I bended a small bit of water out to heal my head.

When the water touched the wound, I felt as if a fire had been put out within my brain. I closed my eyes and healed. _That is **so** much better_. I felt my head to make sure that it had healed properly, it had. _I **have** to clean myself_ I thought as I stripped off my cloths. I slipped into the water bringing my cloths with me in a bundle. I washed the salt out of my cloths and off of my body. My hair had a terrible texture to it and my skin was dry. It wasn't your average bath, but it felt great.

By the time I finished, it was sunrise. I bended the water out of my cloths and hair and got dressed. I welcomed the day with a smile. I may have been stranded, but I felt good. _Today is going to be a good day._

**A/N: I hope you guys liked that!! If you have any questions or anything, you know what to do! You know I'm always open to advice/suggestions. Also, I have a question for those of you who actually follow the show: When the heck does it start!?! I am so ready for the next season, it's killing me! I've heard unfortunate rumors that the show has been canceled. How can that be? If you have an opinion on this or any new news (hehe, 'new news', hehe) then please tell me when you review! ****Onward, March!!**


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: Hey peeps! Here goes chapter 5!!! WEEEEE!**

Chapter Five

I wandered aimlessly along the beach for hours, only to find that my new temporary home was quite a large island, although small enough to hike around in a day, in the middle of nowhere. No matter how far I could see, there seemed to be an ad infinitum of blue-green sea. It was peaceful, yet frightening.

I had no idea where I was and how far I was from civilization. I hoped that a mainland was beyond the horizon, just past my vision. I thought of possibly bending a raft of ice to sail on, but I had no idea how far the next island was and I was in no condition to travel, let alone for a long period of time.

I returned to the small stream for a drink. The sun was setting as I debated with myself as to what I would do the following day. I couldn't just sit around waiting to be rescued, but I had absolutely no supplies. I wouldn't be able to travel for more than a day, but I would starve if I stayed there. The only food that I had found there were some nuts. At this point, I was so hungry I would have eaten a papaya.

I needed to leave soon.

I had already scouted the island with no luck; I needed to scout the seas. In the morning, I would create a raft and sail out to the horizon. I would only go far enough that I could still see the island. I left the stream and crawled into the thicket to sleep. The sun had retreated, and I was to start my journey before its return.

* * *

A rustle sounded in the forest accompanied by several rough voices. I opened my eyes but did not move. My breathing was shallow and quiet. Each time a loud voice spoke, I inched my way towards the entrance of the thicket. Eventually I edged my face to the opening and was able to see several silhouettes of large men. They were digging and carried large, heavy chests that required two strong men to carry. 

_Pirates_ I thought. _Great._

I felt a sudden pressure on the thicket, and a quiet cooing. A bird had landed on my thicket. My heartbeat accelerated. I hoped it would not bring the pirates towards me. The creature leapt off of the thicket...and landed in front of the opening. It was a bright green that shone in the moonlight and had a golden ring pierced on the side of it's head. It belonged to the pirates.

It looked straight into my widened eyes and squawked. "Here, here!" it cried. "Over here!!"

If I stayed there I would have no chance of escaping. I crawled out of the bushes as fast as I could and stood up to see the men walking towards me. When they saw me, they froze. I ran, they chased. I pushed my way through vines, bushes and thorns trying to get away. The vines seemed to be against me, snatching at my hair, tearing it loose. If I could run to the opposite beach, I could create a raft and their ship would be on the opposite side of the island.

But that would had been too easy. They had weapons.

I felt a sharp pain in my leg. I looked down to see an arrow planted in the back of my leg, just under the knee. I continued to run as I reached back and ripped it out. "Arrg!" I screamed in pain. Perhaps I shouldn't had forced it out at such an angle. I felt the warm blood running down to my foot. I felt another in my left shoulder, above the blade.

A lit arrow landed in front of me, lighting the shrubs on fire. I tried to leap over it, but my foot got caught in a vine over the fire. I screamed in pain trying desperately to rip my foot out of the fire. It finally broke free, but my foot was covered in blisters and burns. My adrenaline kicked in thankfully and I stood up, limping away.

I didn't get very far before I felt someone grab me from behind. I turned around and pounded my attacker on the chest as hard as I could. He didn't even flinch or wince. It hurt my pride, but that wasn't the time. Besides, he was at least two times my size, if not three.

The next thing I knew, a hand was forcing my mouth open and something was stuffed down my throat. My body tried to reject it as I began to cough. I thrashed with all my might, only to find my arms tied behind my back and a sack being pulled over my head. Suddenly my stomach lurched. Whatever they had force fed me was beginning to take affect.

My screaming and thrashing became more of an effort as my body began to shut down. Soon I became limp, and my eyelids wouldn't even open. I was still conscious, but I couldn't move- I was paralyzed. It was as if I had been struck by a shir-shu again (**A/N: the shir-shu is the animal in "Bato of the water tribe" that belongs to Jun. It's paralyzes its victim for an hour by striking it's tongue at the person**). My body collapsed onto the ground. I felt myself lifted off of the ground. I couldn't actually physically feel anything but I knew that I was moving. The problem was, I had no idea where.

**A/N: Sorry this chapter too sooooo long and that it ended up being so short. At least a lot happened in it! Well, I am finished with school for a good three months, and I should be able to focus now on this ff. I hope not to dissapoint you!!!! Hobey ho, lets go!!**


	6. Just an authors note

**A/N: Just an authors note, sorry. I just wanted to tell you guys…"Don't give up on me yet!!!" I know I haven't updated in forever but I promise that the next chapter will be up within the next few days. I'm towards the end of writing it, then I just have to edit and such. Hope to talk to you guys soon. Thanks!!!!**

** Silverwing14**


	7. Chapter 6

**A/N: Hey guys! I am sooo sorry that this has taken so long. I'm in Tenn. right now, and I haven't been able to get on the computer every day, like back at home. Well, I hope you enjoy this chapter, though it wuz a little rushed.**

I drifted off to sleep for but a few hours.

"When are we going to get some _real_ food around here? I'm tired of this stinking fruit!"

"Calm down Rumbzy, we'll find us some meat soon enough."

As I aroused from my unwilling slumber, I heard the voices of the two pirates (one which was apparently called Rumbzy) and listened for more.

"And what are we gonna be doing with _this_ meat?" said Rumbzy, tapping my leg with something cold. Cold. I could feel. Unfortunately this meant I reacted. My leg moved back and my eyes fluttered open accompanied by a short gasp.

"So she is awake," said Rumbzy, "You owe me five copper pieces, Thwarg"

"Shut it!" said Thwarg, "Let's go tell the captain." They stood up from the crates that I just noticed they had been sitting on. Rumbzy swaggered towards me. He bent down to my level and jerked the side of my chair so that my left ear was inches from his face. "You be a good girl while we're gone, ya hear?" he whispered. His words seemed to rot out of his mouth, his breath stinking of rum and something that I could swear was month old sushi. I vomited a little on the inside. He wanted me to be good. I decided to show him how _good_ I could be and sent my good foot right into the crotch of his pants. He doubled over, and clutched himself on the floor cursing beneath his breath. I looked at Thwarg and smirked. There was a slight mixture of surprise and fear in his eyes. Rumbzy regained his posture, growled at me, then introduced the back of his hand to the side of my face. Rumbzy glared at me but with a look of satisfaction, then turned and left. Thwarg quietly trailed after him.

I took this opportunity of being alone to take a look at exactly what position I was in. I was in a medium sized tent that was decorated with hanging cages, glowing lanterns and trinkets. The cages held a number of exotic looking animals of all kinds including birds, lizards, and primates. I also noticed the feel of soft grass beneath my feet. Grass. _That must mean that I'm still on land!_ I thought eagerly. Hopefully, I would still be on the same island (not that it really mattered).

My hands were tied together by a thick rope, fixed to a pole that seemed to support the tent. I could see the glow of sunlight entering from the bottom of the tent. The tent material was too thick for the sunlight to shine through. I pulled on the pole with my hands. It bent slightly. Perhaps with enough force, I could...

"And be mighty careful captain," I heard Rumbzy say from outside the tent. "quite a feisty one she is." Rumbzy and Thwarg emerged into the tent and held the flaps of the entrance high. A very tall and large figure entered after them, brushing the top of the entrance with the crown of his head.

I gasped at the sight of him, for he was the ugly man from my nightmare that had laughed at me in the water. He wore a ragged tunic and trousers beneath an elegant red coat that reached his knees.

"You are dismissed." he said. Rumbzy and Thwarg quickly left without another word. They were either respectful of him, or very fearful of him. For my sake, I hoped they were respectful.

He walked up to a cage containing a colorful bird with a mohawk of purple feathers. "So tell me," he said. His voice was scratchy and low. "how did you come across this island?"

_**This** island _I thought _that means we haven't sailed off! _"What does it matter to you?" I asked. He opened the cage and let the bird climb onto his hand.

"What matters," he growled. "is that you and whoever else ended up on _my_ island."

"Listen," I said. "I assure you, you have no reason of keeping me here. I have no significant value, and I'm alone. So if you'll let me go, I'll just be on my w-"

"Do you know who I am?" he interrupted.

"Pardon?"

"I _said_ do you know who I am?"

"No, but I-"

"My name," he said "is Captain Zarger." He glanced at me in a peripheral way. My eyes widened. Zarger. _The_ Captain Zarger. He was of pirate 'nobility', so to speak, and not just any pirate at that. He was the most infamous of them all.

It was said that he was a man of no mercy. Some wondered if he was a man at all. He was known as to never leave even one survivor. Search parties would have to work for days just to find all the _remains_ of the population. Damsels in which he captured were said to have it the worst. He would take advantage of them, then turn them into slaves. After he had drained every last bit of strength they had in them, he would kill them- in various ways.

The worst story that I was told of was that of his own mistress. She was caught with other men, and in a jealous rage, he killed each man before her very eyes. But that was not the worst of it. For Zarger was a possessive man, and he save he fate for last. He had her tied to a post, and striped of her cloths. But no lust was in his mind, none but his lust for her blood to be spilt. He grabbed his dagger and split her deep, from the top of her chest, to the nave of her belly. He ripped open her ribcage, and tore her beating heart from her supple form, ignoring her screams of agony.

Such a story was not the only of it's kind, and left me drowning with fear, although I tried desperately to hide it. I needed to get out of there. As quickly as possible.

"So you know who I am" he said. "You hide your fear well," He brought his face close to mine and I turned away. "but I can still smell it consuming you."

He inhaled deeply. "Has been long since I've caught wind of a woman's scent..." He trailed off, drawing out each individual word. I winced. _Please no..._

"I'll make you a deal." he began, stepping back and stroking the bird. _Good_ I thought _maybe I can still get myself out of this._ "If you will tell me where your friends are and how you came about this place, I will spare your life. You can see the world, share the riches. All while being at my side- as my mistress."

_What?!? _I gasped. There was absolutely no way! Not even the spirits could possess her to do something like _that! _I would **never** consent to that.

"I know," he said through a smirk. "a sterling opportunity indeed. But there is the other option..." There was an evil spark in his eyes. My heart was beating out of my chest.

"Well," he said stroking the fowl still perched upon his open palm. "I can show you better than I can tell you." With that, he abruptly grabbed the birds elongated neck and snapped it back like a toothpick. I gasped and my body shook with fear. The other animals squawked and wailed, banging on their cages. A tear ran down my cheek. I didn't want to die, but I would **not** be his mistress.

"But if you should choose to die," he said. "I shall hand you over to the crew first."

I bent my head down in near defeat. If I wanted to escape untouched, I would have to fight. The men were twice if not three times my size, and I was vastly outnumbered. But it was the only _real_ option for me.

"It truly is an obvious choice," said Zarger "but let me help."

I looked up to see his face close to mine. He grabbed my shoulders tight so much so that it hurt, then he smashed his lips into mine. I thrashed around trying to escape, but I was still restricted to the pole. He released one of my throbbing shoulders, but used that hand to grab my waist. His tongue tried to enter my mouth but I kept closed.

Suddenly, his hand shot up my shirt, caressing my stomach. I tried to scream but as I opened my mouth, he smothered it. His tongue entered through my bloodied lips, but I took the opportunity to chomp down as hard as I could on it. I immediately could taste his blood in my mouth as he jumped back screaming.

"You little wench," he growled through gritted teeth. I spat the blood out of my mouth and scanned the tent for anything I could use. There were only lanterns, trinket and cages to be seen. Then it hit me- the lanterns. _The candle wax! _I thought excitedly. Zarger started to taka step towards me when I quickly bended the wax form the lanterns and splashed it in his face. He doubled over, clawing at his face and screaming. Now was my chance.

I pulled with all my strength on the pole supporting the tent. It cracked, but did not break. I was sure that with another pull, it would be down. I got ready for the next pull, when I heard desperate screams come from outside.

"You will pay, little waterbender." Zarger said as he stood up. He had peeled the burning wax from his now blistering face. Another pirate ran into the tent. He looked eager as he bowed and said, "Sorry sir, but we're under attack!"

"Well fight back!"

"We're losing, sir"

"Then retreat to the ship armory. They won't stand a chance there."

The man ran out, shouting orders to the rest of the crew. Zarger pulled a sack out of his coat pocket. "I'll deal with you later!" he barked. When he was close enough, I kicked him in the gut with all the force I could muster from my current position. He doubled over once more, and I gave my last pull. The pole broke with a large _crack!_ But as I ran past him, Zarger grabbed me and pulled the sack over my head and pushed me outside.

He had a firm grip on the back of my tattered shirt, so there was no way of escaping, without slipping out of it. I felt people run past me as Zarger directed me to the ship. I felt intense heat- something was on fire.

Suddenly Zarger gave out a yelp. He fell to the ground, bringing me down with him. I sat up and tapped him with my foot. I jerked away. There was something sticking out of his back, and it was cold like ice. The infamous Captain Zarger was finally dead. I mentally smirked as I stood up. As I started to run, something bashed into the side of my head; hard.

I wasn't sure how long my head could keep this up without suffering any real, long-term damage. I was tired of getting knocked out, but that's exactly what happened- again.


	8. Chapter 7

**AN: Hey guys!! I am sooo sorry. I haven't really had time to write too much in the past month. My family went to visit a bunch of other family across America, and we decided to do it by car. So I haven't had much time to settle down and write this chapter. I just wanna say thanks for those of you that are still here, and haven't decided to ditch me yet!! LOL. (plz don't!). Well, here goes nothin'!!!!**

**Chapter 7**

_Where in the world am I now?_

My eyes fluttered open to see darkness. My heart skipped a beat- could I have gone blind again? Was it permanent this time? Much to my relief though, my eyes adjusted dimmed light to reveal a stone ceiling. _I must be in a building, _I thought _or a cave. _I then realized that I was laying between a few sheets of fabric and my head was propped up on a pillow of some sort. Someone hade been caring for me.

_Maybe the people who attacked the pirates rescued me!_ I thought. _Perhaps I'm in a clinic. _

I sat up slowly, not wanting to make the same mistake twice. I softly touched the back on my head feeling for where I had been hit. I winced as my fingers brushed across the knot. Luckily, the attack hadn't broken the skin, but it was still painful.

I glanced around to see exactly the situation that I had been placed in. The room was completely made of stone. It was illuminated only by a small fire upon an engraved ledge in the wall. Next to where I lay was a small table with a bowl (both made of stone, of course) that had water in it.

I bended the water out of the bowl to heal my wounds. I started with my head, the proceeded to my bruised lips and finally to other small cuts a bruises. I stood up to examine the room fully. First I walked to the wall to look for a door. I studied the circular wall without finding a single crack. _It must be the work of earthbenders, _I thought.

The sealed walls made me wonder if I was a prisoner in their eyes or a patient. I hoped dearly that I was a mere patient to them and that the earthbenders would treat me with some respect. Something struck me as odd though. It had felt like an icicle that had pierced Zarger. But it was the middle of summer, and we had yet to reach the south pole. Maybe the people who saved me were a group of benders- not unlike "Team BoomerAang", as Sokka had once named it.

Thinking back on those days brought tears to my eyes. So much had happened since the day I had left with Aang and Sokka. Although the pain was nearly unbearable, I would go through it a thousand times over just to have met Aang. I had loved him to all extents. At first it was as if I had gained yet another brother (as if one wasn't enough), but soon it blossomed into something _a lot_ more. I hated myself for not saying anything to Aang while I had the chance.

I knew that feeling sorry for myself was pointless, but it couldn't be helped. I felt as if all I loved had been stolen from me. First my mother, then Jet, then Aang. And on top of that, I had been cut off from the world in a stone prison. I had no clue as to whether or not Sokka and Toph had made it through the storm, or if Gran-Gran was even still _alive_.

I _had_ to get out of there.

I gazed over at the remaining water I had. There wasn't much, but I had to do something. I took a deep breath and bended the water into the air. With one great motion, I attacked to wall using my water whip.

I smiled. I had engraved a line in the wall that was at least an inch deep. I didn't know why I had doubted myself in the first place: after all, I _had_ cut through the solid metal of the drill in Ba sing se. I continued to attack the barrier with all my might. Dust flew into the air, collecting on my sweating face. I had finished about halfway when I stopped for a short break. I wipped the sweat off of my face with what was left of my shirt.

With no warning, the section of wall I had been working on colapsed into the ground. I jumped back, it was dark outside, but not dark enough to see the large silloette of something flying my way. It looked like it had no means of stopping and it soared straight towards my head. I fell to the floor with my hands over my head as it flew over my head and into the cave.

I turned around to see what the creature was. But there was no creature in the cave. Instead, there stood a man holding a stick. He was muscular and stood at least a head higher than me. On his face was a corny smile, and on his forehead was a blue arrow.

_Aang!?!_

It couldn't be him. There was no way possible, he was dead. I had heard of people dressing up as Aang, claiming to be the avatar. What kind of sick monster would do that to me? I had had enough of heartbreak, and I did the only sensible thing I could think of- I scrabled out of the cave and ran.

I just ran.

**A/N: I know you must all hate me right now, but did you really think that I would pass up such a wonderful cliffhanger? But anywho, you can yell at me as long as you review! By the way, what kind of sicko would dress up like a dead guy? And if the mysterious man is an imposter, then why can he fly? Maybe he's spent some time with the crazy scientist at the Northern air temple, or perhaps he's not even human. Is he even real? And even if he is Aang, why didn't he stop her? And what has taken him so long to get to her? It's been how long? Give me a break, it doesn't take that long to find someone, he _is_ the avatar after all! Write what you think is gonna happen next! Well, ta ta for now!! REVIEW!!!**


	9. Just another authors note

**Just another authors note...again...hehe (dodges stabbing glares from everyone...)**

Hey Guys!!! I just wanted to let everyone know, that yes, of course, I am going to continue!! I just started school again and the few weeks before that, I was trying to do my summer homework at the last minute. So, like I said, so sorry about the wait- don't think your the only one being tortured!! I can't wait to write it! So, yeah, don't give up!! I"ll try to start writing this weekend, but it probably won't get posted until next weekend or the following.

Hobbey Ho, Lets go!!

Yours Truely,

Silverwing14


	10. Chapter 8

**A/N: HAPPY NEW YEAR!!! Yeah, yeah, yeah...I know, you all absolutely hate me! Well, this is it, the chapter you've been waiting for...If you find that it seems a little bit more like literature than a story, it's probably because I've just started school back up again, and we've been analyzing this one book almost nonstop!! Well, anywho, Hobey ho, lets go!!**

Chapter Eight

_"Aang?" I softly said through the darkness to the sleeping boy. "It's time to get up." I rested my hand on his silhouetted shoulder. He was sweating through the sheets, but I could feel him shivering. He groaned at my touch, and shuddered violently. _

_This wasn't the first of Aang's taunting dreams. "Aang, wake up!" I cried as soothingly as my fears would allow. "It's just a dream!" I knew he wasn't getting hurt, but I couldn't help but worry for him. _

_His eyes flew open- his spirit form emitting from his dream. He gasped and sat up abruptly, landing in my embrace. "Katara?" he whimpered. I only held him closer. "I know you can do it, Aang." I said. It was the day of out attack on the fire nation- the day of black sun._

* * *

My panting echoed through the barren forest. It was cold and the trees were dead; new buds trying to arise but diminished by the constant breath of the south pole. It had been months since I had found myself at the bottom of the earth to feel its bite. 

Questions. They were menacing: swirling around in my head. Who was that man? Why would someone do such a thing to me? Aang was dead wasn't he?

* * *

_We walked out of our tent: everyone else was just entering the new day. The sun had yet to rise, but the camp was buzzing with excitement- and fear. We had 10,000 men in our army, most of which were trained, although a quarter of our fighters had little or no training whatsoever- and an army is only as strong as its weakest point. _

_We had hoped for a surprise attack on the firenation, but each person had doubt in their hearts. I knew the firenation was bound to be prepared. We had tried to cover our tracks, but any decent spy would notice hundreds of troops vanishing from the larger cities. On the other hand, they had yet to find out where we were, or else we would've been attacked days before. On our way, we had captured several, perhaps a dozen firenation scouts. We had interrogated them for information, and discovered nothing we didn't know before. Azula had taken full control of Ba Sing Se with the Di lee at her side. One scout had informed us of a meeting between the generals a week before our arrival. We knew they were preparing for what they did not know. _

_Aang and I approached the officers tent. We stepped inside to find most of the generals and leaders present. They were going over our battle tactics one last time. _

_"Ahh," said General Ti Laang "You look rather refreshed young avatar, how are you feeling this fine morning?" Ti Laang had come from a city in the Earth Kingdom that branched off of Ba Sing Se. _

_"I feel great!" Aang lied through a forced smile. "Reporting for duty!" In truth, he was as ready as he could be, but that didn't mean he felt sure of himself. Nevertheless, he had to keep a positive attitude for the rest of us. The avatar was our hope, our icon. He reminded us that we had something worth fighting for. _

_"Any new plans?" I asked, trying to get the attention off of Aang. Ti Laang looked at the other generals; one of the oldest generals, Shi Yue, nodded. Ti Laang Looked down, then at us. "What happened?" asked Aang worriedly. I looked at the generals before us; I counted them- one was missing. "Where's General Tousen!?!" I asked. _

_"Approximatly two hours ago," began Ti Laang, "General Tousen was pronounced missing."_

Oh no, _I thought_ Why now?

_"A search party was sent out, and returned with this..." he nodded towards a damp, cloth bag. Aang walked up to it. I followed him, afraid of what might be found inside. _

_Aang untied the rope around its opening, allowing the cloth to fall, revieling its contents. I nearly choked (I suppose that's what happens when you gasp and try to throw-up at the same time). Inside the moist cloth bag was a freshly burned, human hand. The cloth bag was soaked in it's blood; the hand was brutaly severed. _

_The hand was badly charred, obviously the work of firebenders, and a gold ring remainded on one of the fingers. That was the only way we could tell that it was indeed, the hand of the precious General Tousen. _

_I covered my mouth to keep myself from vomiting. Aang cringed but tried to keep a strong exterior. _

_"We can only asume the worst," Shi Yue said grimly "and that this was a warning to us all. I do not believe that they know how many of us there are or where we are exactly, but staying here any longer would bring grave fortune upon us." _

_What do you wish us to do?" asked Aang. _

_"Isn't it obvious?" I said, regaining my posture. "We have to make our move now, preferably within the next half hour." __Aang looked at Shi Yue. _

_"Percisely" he said. "Please inform Lieutentant Sokka of our changes immediatly."_

_

* * *

_How long had I been running? A few minutes? Ten minutes? I knew not, but I was reaching my limit. I had to stop for a breath. I saw a large tree, and decided to rest on one of its roots. I listened for the impostor; I heard nothing. I was tired of running; I needed to stand up and fight. If he was there to harm me, I would fight him. If he wasn't, I would still hurt him for trying to mess with me like that. I didn't know him, but I already had an immense hatred for him.

I heard footsteps behind me. They were heavy; the man was running after me. My breath stopped short in my lungs. I wouldn't dare breath for fear that he would hear me, though he was several yards away. The footsteps stopped. _Did he hear me?_ the dreaded thought ran through my head. I didn't move, but somehow, he seemed to know were I was.

I could hear his panting, and my lungs grew painfully envious of it; they screamed for air. _I need to fight back! _I thought. I started breathing shallowly through my nose. After a few seconds I had a sufficient amount of breath. I stood up and stepped from behind the tree.

* * *

_The entire camp was ready to leave within ten minutes of the word of the generals. We had prepared ourselves for this type of situation, and could move quickly from one location to the next. All that we told the camp was that there was a posibility of the firenation knowlege of ou__r camp and we needed to attack as soon as posible to insure that the information didn't reach the palace before we did. _

_In the midst of it all, it occured to me that General Tousen was most likely still alive and being tortured for information- this only made me move faster. A person could only hold up for so long when they were being tortured. _

_Through much much work and interrogating, we had learned of a secret underground series of tunnels that ran to the royal palace. The tunnels were supposed to be used as escape routes for the royal family in case of a seige or attack. _

_Everything went smoothly in our plan up to the tunnels. Toph, Aang and I were a part of the first wave; we lead the battle. Our job was to silently take care of as many guards as we could before the actual battle began. Aang, Toph and the majority of our group went to attack the gaurds, while I lead a small group of waterbenders to the kitchens of the palace. _

_My group was assigned to poison the palace through their food supply. The poison was nothing deadly, but just enough to make them sick to the point that they could not fight. The eclispse would not come until midday, and we were attacking early in the morning. We would all be tired out by midday came around, but for the firebenders, they would be almost completely striped of their bending abilities. _

_We were finishing the last barrel of rice when the gongs of war sounded. Our cover was blown; the war had begun. _

* * *

"What do you want from me!?!" 

I stood before my persuer, trying to be brave, yet I couldn't bring myself to look upon his face. I'll admit it, I was scared. Spirits know I would had done anything to bring Aang back. Anything. And of course, I wanted Aang to be back. I wanted to believe what I saw and accept that Aang had returned to me. But at the same time, I didn't. If this man was really Aang, I wouldn't be able to stand myself. For I had given up on Aang, while even through all this time, he sought me out. I was afraid of the truth.

I wouldn't look at his eyes because they could not lie to me. _The eyes are the gateway to the soul. _

He remained silent; he only stood there as if he couldn't think of what to say.

"_Well_!?!"

"Katara-" he began.

"Don't you _dare_ speak my name as if you know me!" I shouted, my voice faltering.

"What can I say to make you believe me!?!" He shouted in return.

"Nothing!" I said. "Because there isn't anything to believe! You're just some sick--"

The man moved his hands and an invisible force pushed me towards him, almost like airbending. Before I could act he had one arm around my waist and his other hand on the back of my head forcing me to look at one thing.

His face; his eyes.

* * *

_The war had begun, and so we fought. We fought for what we believed in: Our pride, our freedom, our destinies, and above all for everything we held dear to our hearts. The rest of the world depended on us to bring back the peace and harmony that once made up the four nations._

_Many men were lost; even Haru was killed before my very eyes. I avenged him of course, but even my advanced healing abilities would not bring him back. Ever. There would be a time for mourning afterwards-- if we survived. _

_By the time the eclipse arrived, we were barely holding up our forces. It came right on time. Suddenly we were able to pull ourselves ahead. The eclipse did everything it was supposed to. Our forces acted as one, working together against the hated firenation. Everything was going as expected- until I foung Aang. _

_The icon of world peace and hope had been defeated. On top of this, his physical body disappeared, along with Appa and Momo, leaving his only existance in the form of precious memories. Memories which, in time, might all be forgotten. _

_Except mine. _

* * *

His eyes. 

They stopped everything: my thoughts, my breath, my heart.

I fell to my knees, sobbing. Tears fell from my face in a damp storm of emotions. I wept from fear. I wept from sorrow. I wept from joy.

The man with the brilliant and kind grey eyes kneeled beside me, wrapping a comforting arm around my shoulders.

"Now," said Aang "my Katara couldn't forget me _that_ easily, could she?"

**A/N: Yes, Yes...I know that was WAY overdue, but aren't you glad he's finaly back? I took me absolutely forever to find sutible endings for both the flashback and the current, but it's finaly done! My advice to you all who are reading this as I write, is to only check every other week or just suscribe and DO NOT check your email every day. If you are checking to see if I posted every other day, trust me, you are just torturing yourself! Those of you that have been with me since the beginning know that I tend to have long periods between the posting of a new chapter, and once again I am sorry for that. But enough of that nonsence! I really hoped you enjoyed it, and as usuall, review please!! Yay for constructive criticism!!**


	11. Once again, an author's note

Worst Author's Note Ever:

Hey guys...just so you know, this is NOT some way lame excuse for writers block or something stupid like that. I (believe it or not) finished chapter nine for you guys- I had it all written out on a packet of loose leaf paper all stapled together nice and neat. BUT(like you didn't know that was coming), I lost the packet. **: (**

I've been searching for the stupid thing for the past week (that I've been on spring break) with no results. I'm afraid that it is lost forever and that I'll have to re-write the entire chapter, which totaly suckz!! I just wanted to let u guys know that there is a good reason for your toture (and mine) and that I hadn't died.

A thousand sorries,

Silverwing14


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